A Granite School District mentor who works with junior high students says state funding cuts could dismantle a program that keeps chronically absent kids in school.
Joaquin Moreno, a Check & Connect mentor in the district, wrote in an Oct. 18 opinion piece in the Deseret News that Utah's House Bill 2, passed during the 2025 legislative session, reduced funding for gang prevention, special education and teacher retention. Check & Connect relies heavily on gang-prevention grants, Moreno wrote, and the cuts leave mentors uncertain whether the program will survive into the 2026-27 school year.
The program's future is unclear.
The district's own budget documents back up that concern. A Granite School District FAQ published in August listed HB2 among several state actions that decreased funding for the district. Changes to the state's levy guarantee formula alone reduced anticipated state support to Granite by approximately $15 million over three years, with an additional projected reduction of about $4 million ahead of the next budget year, according to the FAQ. The district cut $7 million over the past two years and implemented nearly $5 million in additional savings before balancing its 2026-27 budget with a proposed property tax increase.
Check & Connect pairs at-risk students with a dedicated adult mentor who monitors attendance, grades and behavior. Mentors help students navigate family problems, substance use and peer pressure, according to Moreno's op-ed. Moreno wrote that he has worked at several Granite district junior highs, though he did not name specific schools. Bonneville Junior High in Holladay is among the district's junior high campuses.
Moreno described one student who had no motivation to attend school and had never seen herself as belonging there. Through weekly meetings, the student connected with counselors and teachers and became captain of her school's sports team, he wrote, despite never having played sports before.
Statewide, about 23% of Utah students were chronically absent in 2025, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year, according to Utah State Board of Education data that Moreno cited in his op-ed.
A 2021 randomized study of Check & Connect in Chicago found that students in grades five through seven missed about 23% fewer school days than students without mentors. The same study found no statistically significant effects on test scores or GPA.
"What worries me most about unpredictable funding is what might happen to the students I've built relationships with," Moreno wrote. "Many of my students struggled to trust adults at school."
Moreno acknowledged competing budget pressures but argued the state should provide consistent funding for programs that address attendance, behavior and challenges outside of school. The district has scheduled an Oct. 27 town hall to discuss its broader budget situation.
